Nigerian artiste, Teni dramatically lost weight last year and tweeted about how losing weight changed and saved her life. A Nigerian actress, Monalisa Stephen is catching strays and saying Teni is being fatphobia but is she?
What is fatphobia?
A concept is so simple and basic as this is usually misconstrued.
Does Fatphobia exist? Yes, it does and anyone who is fat has experienced it.
Fatphobia is simply a hatred of fat bodies and it includes all the negative stereotypes attached to being fat. Stereotypes like fat people are lazy, fat people are smelly, and fat people are not smart. There lies fatphobia.
Research has also shown that fat people are treated unfairly. They are less likely to get a job or even enter a romantic relationship because of their weight. They are treated with disdain by healthcare workers and people in general.
In a study from Vanderbilt University Law School, it was discovered that obese women were more likely to work in physically strenuous, low-paying jobs like food preparation or care for the elderly.
Another study looked at how body weight affects people’s earning potential, researchers discovered that for American women, gaining weight projected reduced incomes, to the tune of nearly $10,000 lower for big women, and close to $19,000 lower for very overweight women.
Is being overweight unhealthy?
The straightforward answer is yes, fat is unhealthy. Being overweight or obese increases the risk of different diseases like osteoarthritis (a deterioration of cartilage and bone within a joint), issues with breathing and sleep, a variety of cancers, low standard of living, clinical depression, anxiety, and other mental diseases, pain in the body and trouble moving around, high blood pressure (hypertension), High LDL cholesterol, low HDL cholesterol, or high levels of triglycerides (dyslipidemia), Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, and gallbladder disease.
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Losing weight is not fatphobia
When UK singer, Adele lost weight, some people were upset with her. They wanted her to be forced to accept a body type that she wasn’t comfortable with and she betrayed fat people by losing weight. She has no obligation to a particular group to feel bad about themselves, just like Teni doesn’t.
Losing weight is a healthy lifestyle option and anyone who can do so should. On the other hand, fat people should be treated with kindness.
source: pulse Nigeria
